In the first twenty years of its establishment, the Congress drew the attention of the British government to the problems of the Indian people by passing various resolutions in its annual sessions and demanded various reforms in the civil administration. Their various demands were as follows-
1. Political demands
Many political rights for Indians were demanded by the early nationalist leaders from the white government of India- 1. There should be maximum participation of Indians in the administration system. 2. Legislative councils should be reformed. 3. The central and provincial councils should be expanded and the number of elected and non-official Indian members should be increased by reducing the number of official members nominated by the government. 4. There should be separation of executive and judiciary and jury system should be recognized in the trial of cases. 5. The burden of taxes should be reduced by restructuring the financial system. 6. The British government should also participate in the expenditure of the security and expansion of the British Empire. 7. Government's military expenditure should be reduced.
2. Civil rights demands
Liberal leaders used to raise demands for civil rights like right to freedom of speech and press, right to freedom of association for the citizens. Whenever the government tried to limit these rights, liberal leaders used to give arguments in support of these rights. The Press Act passed in 1878 AD was opposed by the liberals until the government repealed this act. Similarly, in 1880-90, when the government tried to end the right of newspapers to criticize, the liberals opposed the government's efforts.
3. Demand for constitutional reform and self-governing government
The moderate leaders wanted the establishment of a self-governing government, but they did not take any hasty step in this direction. In the beginning, he sought to give more share in the government to the Indian people through the expansion of the Legislative Councils and various reforms. He demanded an increase in the powers of the Legislative Councils so that the budget could be debated and an opportunity to review the actions of the administration could be given.
4. Demand for Indianisation of civil services
The liberals believed that various administrative and financial evils could not be removed until more and more Indians were admitted to the civil services. In the presidential speech of the first session of the Congress, Vyomeshchandra Banerjee said- 'I think that aspiring for a European type of governance is not treason at all. Our only aspiration is that the basis of governance should be more comprehensive and the countrymen should get proper and fair share in it. He also demanded that judicial work should be given to only those persons who are experts in law.
5. Demand to stop drain of wealth from India
Dadabhai Naoroji was the first person to raise voice for the poverty prevalent in India. He wrote two books - (1.) Poverty in India and (2.) Poverty in Un-British Rule in India. He proved invalid the arguments presented by other thinkers and critics for India's poverty, in which India's growing population was blamed for India's poverty. Instead of India's growing population, he blamed the brutal economic exploitation policy of the British for India's poverty. In the drain of wealth theory, he wrote that the vast amount of money of this country is reaching the English Channel through the canal system of the British rule, especially in four items- (1.) Pension of British officers, (2.) Military expenditure in India. Payment to Britain's War Department for (3.) the expenditure of the Government of India in Britain and (4.) its earnings sent home by the British business class based in India. India did not get anything in return for the capital that went to England from India. The money sent from India to England came back to India in the form of public debt, for which interest had to be paid. Liberals demanded that the country's production should remain in the country and money-extraction from India should be stopped.
6. Demand for protection to Indian industries
The liberals believed that there were many obstacles to the rapid industrialization of India. Like- 1. Decline of indigenous industries, 2. Lack of capital, 3. Lack of technical education, 4. Lack of entrepreneurial spirit among Indians and 5. Policy of free trade. Liberal leaders sought to remove these barriers and give government encouragement and protection to Indian industries. Because industrial development of India was not possible without government assistance and it was futile to imagine economic prosperity without industrial development. Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade said- 'The real reason for India's declining economic condition is the decline of India's domestic industries and excessive dependence on India's agriculture.'
7. Demand to improve the condition of laborers
Liberal leaders demanded to improve the condition of the workers but did not show much enthusiasm in this matter. Ranade, Dadabhai Naoroji, G. V. Joshi, R. C. Dutt also did not show any special sympathy towards the workers. Resolutions related to labor were not passed even in the Congress sessions, while the condition of Indian labor was deplorable in this era. Later, Lala Lajpat Rai raised this issue with full force.
8. Demand to improve the condition of agriculture and farmers
Under the British rule, the condition of both agriculture and farmers was getting worse. Liberal leaders believed that such a situation had arisen due to harsh taxation and high tax rates. He demanded the government to reduce the land tax and waive old loans to improve the condition of the farmers. He suggested reducing the rights of the landlords and making the farmers independent so that the farmer could increase the production by working hard on his land.
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